Release Date: 5/7/2010
Iron Man 2, directed by Jon Favreau and written by Justin Theroux, is a superhero action sequel that has been on several moviegoers most anticipated films of 2010 list. The sequel does not disappoint when it comes to entertainment value but when compared to its predecessor it is most definitely the inferior film. The acting is superb again, and the new villains and sexy new assistant are great additions to the cast, but the story just never really gets going to the point where it reaches that next level. I think the appeal of the first film came in that it was the surprise hit of the year, but everyone is expecting this sequel to be amazing and as far as superhero franchises go it doesn’t hold up with that of Spiderman 2, X2, and the Dark Knight, in that the first Iron Man was a better overall movie. Don’t get me wrong though, this is still a fun time in the theater and a great way to kick off the 2010 summer movies.
The ensemble cast of Iron Man 2 is phenomenal. There isn’t really much more you can say about Downey’s performance as Tony Stark, he is cockier and charasmatic as ever. He really has taken a hold of this part and made it into one of the best superhero characters of all time. Paltrow was definitely better in the first film and here she just seems a lot whinier. Jackson isn’t in the movie much but when he is I feel like he’s out of place. I kept thinking he was going to drop an infamous Samuel L F-bomb whenever he was speaking. His scenes were just setup for The Avengers and didn’t really further this films plot at all. Scarlett Johansson played Tony’s new assistant Natalie Rushman. I was skeptical about her role in the film but I must say she pulled it off with some crafty fight scenes where she would hurricanrana the shit out of bad guys. She doesn’t show much emotion in her scenes but she is damn sexy. Jon Favreau as Happy Hogan also had a bigger role and he was a lot funnier this time around, especially in a fight scene near the end. Don Cheadle as the new Rhodey was a major disappointment. I usually love Cheadle but I think missing Terrence Howard hurt the film a little. I’m not sure why but seeing Cheadle there instead of Howard took me out of the movie a bit.
Mickey Rourke was pretty bad-ass, he doesn’t have many lines cause he barely speaks English but he was very believable in his role. That’s what happens when you get talented actors to portray superheroes and villains and it really pays off here. Sam Rockwell was my favorite character in the film. He really is an underrated actor and with his stellar performance last year in Moon he really has dominated every movie he’s been in recently. He plays a Lex Luther type weapons expert who is just a total evil, shady, doucher. He’s great but he does end up being kind of a bitch for a bad guy. I could see him developing into a major villain if we ever get an Iron Man 3.
The script is the weakest part of film and the story takes too long to get going in the beginning. Justin Theroux who wrote the screenplay excels at writing comedy (He wrote the script for Tropic Thunder), and this sequel is a lot funnier than the original. There is one-liner after one-liner and it never gets old, but the film lacks any real drama. Tony Stark is never totally threatened by a villain in this film, he pretty much defeats everyone easily and by the end you just expect him to destroy anyone. Sometimes it felt like Theroux was trying to write drama and it comes off kind of cheesy in a way. When Stark is drunk in his Iron Man suit and screams at a group of people for example. The action sequences are well written and very well done. Jon Favreau is gaining experience as a director and really puts some nice visuals on the screen. The last 20 minutes of the film are action packed and loaded with explosions and CGI with Iron man and War Machine kicking ass, but it’s just too quick. The final battle ends so fast that if you blink you might miss it.
Iron Man 2 succeeds in some ways, as a funny action packed summer blockbuster with great acting. It doesn’t quite live up to the original film because of the mediocre script but it is a successful sequel with a lot of setup for The Avengers. It acts much like it’s predecessor did as a solid opener for the summer season that will hold us over until a certain Christopher Nolan film comes out.
IMDB: 7.7/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 71%
Moviewiseguys: 7.5/10
May 7, 2010 at 5:53 pm
Did Scarlett Johansson get naked?
May 7, 2010 at 5:56 pm
nah but shes changing in the back of a limo and you see her in just a bra…Favreau is driving and hes staring at her in rearview mirror and almost crashes
May 8, 2010 at 9:55 am
haha nice…